Improve Workplace Harmony By Taking A Look at the Leafcutter Ant [VIDEO]

Leafcutter ants

Leafcutter ants work together, industriously gathering pieces of leaves many times their own body weight and carrying them back to the nest. (Photo by Jon Pinder, Flickr)

Have you ever been with a group of people who just can’t seem to work together? Unfortunately, a toxic workplace is fairly common these days. There always seem to be the employees who  don’t want to carry their load, are eager to stab one another in the back, and who aren’t about to help out a fellow colleague because they are simply too concerned about putting themselves first. What should a manager do who supervises those who exhibit this behavior? Read more of this post

October Is The Perfect Month To Work Hard And Play Harder

Jathan Fink

Jathan welcomes October with open arms.
(Photo by Jathan Fink, Jadeworks Entertainment)

Hi Everyone,

I always feel like autumn never officially starts until October, when the temperatures finally drop and the evenings are cool, pumpkins make their appearance everywhere, including my oven, and apples are ripe for harvesting. But it also means that summer fun is over and it is time to settle into a stricter writing routine. Every writer has his or her own strategy. Some are planners, others like to see where their writing takes them, and then some, like myself, plan a loose outline so they know where the story is headed, yet are open to the possibilities. That’s what has been happening to me lately.  Read more of this post

September Starts With A Bug And Other Special Events [VIDEOS]

Jathan Fink

Jathan welcomes September with optimism. (Photo by Jathan Fink, Jadeworks Entertainment)

Hi Everyone,

My September started today with a little help from a bug. My wife and I moved into our new place over the weekend after months of living in hotels, something I don’t mind doing if I have to, but which can quickly get old. Hotel living can also leave you utterly exhausted. Think noisy guests that never sleep, unruly children that think it is fun to body slam connecting walls, and barking dogs that must have spotted a squirrel outside the window. So yes, we weren’t getting really good rest, and we’re still catching up. But back to the bug.  Read more of this post

Embrace The Things That Make You Happy

A magnet that reads 'I like big mutts and I cannot lie.'

Jathan Fink/Jadeworks Entertainment

What speaks to you? For me, sometimes it is quirky little things like the bumper magnet above. My wife and I recently traveled to Portland, Maine on vacation and I encountered this slogan in Cool As A Moose, a fun little store on Fore Street. Being a big dog lover, it was one of those impulse buys that I just had to snag because it made me laugh. My wife just looked at me as though I had lost my mind because I normally don’t go in for bumper stickers and the like, but this one just made me happy. Read more of this post

Johnson Finds A Home

Johnson the Lab Mix

Johnson was just one of the many animals at the Texarkana Animal Shelter. (Photo by Jathan Fink)

One of the great things about my job is that I get to use my platform as a journalist to help my community. Recently, I was called on to help an animal in our local kill shelter.  Read more of this post